Results for "internet of things"

Imagine a future where a single unified Internet no longer exists, instead being replaced by locked down local versions that exist, primarily, to keep prying eyes away from data that is private. Such is one possibility posed by current government Internet surveillance, largely resting on the NSA's shoulders, according to a panel that recently gathered to discuss the issue. Senator Ron Wyden set up the discussion panel, and many big-name individuals from within the tech industry took part, including Google's Eric Schmidt and Microsoft's General Counsel Brad Smith. The topic is a serious one, and dire warnings were given.

Cincinnati Bell is the latest service provider to roll out a gigabit offering for its subscribers -- in this case, the service will be available starting September 8. The announcement was made today by the provider's CEO Ted Torbeck and the city's mayor John Cranley.

Prepare to hear a lot more about SmartThings. Kickstarter success turned Samsung acquisition, the smart home startup isn't the only DIY approach to home automation and security out there, but it may well end up being one of the best funded. SmartThings' mantra is one of openness, aiming to work with as many third-party components as possible rather than lock users into a closed platform. Admirable, but it could easily add up to confusion; I've been living the SmartThings life for the past six months to see whether it works.

After 20 years of the pop-up ad ruining the day of internet-goers around the world, the original developer of said code has apologized. Finally. He made clear that his original intentions were good - separating a banner ad from the page that was profiting from it. But things went sour quickly.

Smart thermostat Tado is reinventing itself as a smart home hub, adding Apple HomeKit support among other things, and taking on Nest and Honeywell's new Lyric in the process. Finishing its Kickstarter campaign today with $54k more than it hoped for, Tado started out as a way to easily control aftermarket AC units, but has already evolved into something that can connect with lighting, A/V equipment, and the cloud.

Following information provided by Edward Snowden about the government's digital surveillance practices, instances of self-censorship on the Internet has increased, reveals a study by Digital Fourth coalition and MIT researchers.

Five US internet providers have been accused of "deliberately harming" the web experience for their customers, with claims that the companies are purposefully keeping things congested so as to extract cash from content providers. The US ISPs - described as "large Broadband consumer networks with a dominant or exclusive market share in their local market" - and one European ISP are not named by "internet middleman" Level 3, though the company has previously requested that the FCC look into AT&T's handling of networks.

Cable-cutting -- the act of cancelling your cable or satellite subscription to join the ranks of occasionally holier-than-thou set-top-boxers -- is a slowly growing change to how many get their daily entertainment fix. Benefits abound for cutting the cable, and you've likely heard the tropes by now: lower cost, better access to content in the moment, and the reality that cable-cutting better fits with many viewers' schedules (if you're time-shifting all your shows around your work schedule, there's little point in keeping a traditional cable subscription, after all).

Giving in to incessant requests, Nest, which is now owned by Google, has finally brought its Learning Thermostat to the UK. But due to differences in how heating works in the country across the pond, Nest's smart thermostat works a little differently from those that have already been in the market in the US and Canada.

Earlier this month, word surfaced that Facebook would be acquiring Titan Aerospace, maker of drones, to help bring Internet access to under-connected areas around the world. Today, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook's Connectivity Labs is working on building drones, among other things, to accomplish that goal.